This nissan came in for a track day/show cage ahead of a respray and some other mods. The cage can be seen half done. The finished article really set the car off.
Archive for the ‘AA Sport’ Category
caged animal
Monday, November 29th, 2010Porsche lacking pressure
Monday, November 29th, 2010This 928 should have been the 2010 Race car for Mark Hammersley of AA Silencers. The car belongs to Kev Leaper of Practical Performance Car magazine and driving honours where to be shared out over the 40 minute races in CSCC Future Classics. Unfortuantely on it’s first outing at Brands Hatch the engine failed. On inspection it is suspected the failure was due to low oil pressure, a common problem on 928’s. As a result the engine needs a rebuild along with a full dry sump kit added to solve our future oil pressure. The engine will probably be converted from mechanical to electronic fuel injection while we’re at it.
Capri Construction
Monday, November 29th, 2010The AA Silencers Capri is finally going back together. The inside and engine bay have been painted and lots of weight taken out. There have been various changes to the oil and cooling systems plus fuel system. The Aerodynamic underfloor is ready for construction and the exhausts need finishing but it’s taking shape ready for the start of the next race season.
Snotty Skoda
Monday, November 29th, 2010I’m not being rude, Snotty is the nick name that’s been given to the Skoda, probably for obvious reasons. The cars owner has done a wonderful job of preparing the car for sprints and hill climbs. It has come to us for a Car Clinic feature in Practical Performance Car magazine. We carried out a full geomtry set up and made a few light modifications to the front suspension to help with grip. The car was tested at Mallory park and the owner now has all winter to carry out the suggested developments. If you come across this Skoda out on the road you’d better give him room, it’s a whole lot more car than it first appears. Or than the name suggests!
What linkeage?
Monday, November 29th, 2010Another old escort made it’s way in for a Watt’s linkeage, some seat mounts and a few other bits and pieces. The watts linkeage is designed to control lateral loads on the axle and stop it moving about when cornering. We just had to weld the mounts in to the body and axle ensuring everyting was lined up correctly. The car already had 4 link boxes and slipper springs fitted so it won’t be long until this one’s back on the road.
Four wheel alignment
Thursday, October 7th, 2010We’ve been working with Practical performance car magazine for some time now helping with their race efforts and carrying out a feature called ‘Car Clinic’. Here we take in cars either from road or track and improve their handling with some geometry set up. This involves measuring the various positions and angle of the wheels and suspension and adjusting them as required, it’s just a short leap on from tracking which a lot of people have done on their road cars. The latest car to pass through our hands is PPC’s Westfield XI. Measurements were taken for tracking, camber, castor, heights, wheelbase, track and axle offset . A few tweeks later and the car’s ready just in time for the last race of the 2010 season.
Mad Mini
Monday, September 13th, 2010When a customer called to ask if we could do some work to get his mini through an MoT this wasn’t exactly what we were expecting. The car had obviously seen some pretty serious modification before it came to us, with the whole centre section and roof having been chopped out. You now sit on the back seats to drive it, or at least you would if they hadn’t rotten away. The car had sat for around 7 years and although it had been covered it wasn’t looking well. Everything is seized or rotten but we managed to get the engine fired into life and free of the gearbox and brakes. There’s a lot to do but it’s such a wonderful little car we can’t wait to see it back on the road again
track day civic
Monday, September 13th, 2010This civic came in needing an MoT and setting up for the race track. The two things don’t normally go hand in hand but this little terrier has to do daily driving duties and will see some serious track day action too. There a was a big list of work including welding and various suspension upgrades, wheel bearings, brakes etc. Once it was all assembled the geometry equipment came out to make sure everything was pointing in the right direction and away it went for it’s MoT. With a green ticket first time through the owner went away with a big smile and no doubt headed for the nearest race track.
Westfield barn find
Monday, September 13th, 2010In truth it’s less of a barn find and more of barn remembrance. The car is owned by Kev Leaper of PPC Magazine who we do various work for. This is a westfield XI, a copy of the Lotus XI. This car has been graced with bigger arches and a bonnet bulge to accomodate it’s vauxhall XE ‘redtop’ engine. It’s a fair deviation from how Lotus intended it to look but I thiink it looks like a rolling work of art, assuming that is you can see past the dust, rust and cobwebs.
The plan id to get it race ready, no mean feat but one we’re all set for. So far we’ve got it running and resolved a few cooling problems. The next obstacle was freeing off the brakes which wasn’t too hard, but then found that they wouldn’t bleed back up again. The master cylinder had seized so once that was replaced and several tight bleed nipples freed off it had brakes once again. Now we’re down to the nitty gritty of getting it set up and all those little details that take so much time but I can’t wait to see the car back on the race track
Super Seat needs more wind
Monday, June 28th, 2010This seat came to us having already received extensive modificatons. The car was producing super power but had some nasty flat spots in it’s torque curve due to some air restrictions. It already had a very free flowing exhaust on so the only area to improve on was to remove the cat. The induction kit currently on the car left the air filter sitting in the engine bay amongst all the hot air, so we divised a kit that would move the filter to a high pressure air pocket in the inner wing fed by an air vent in the front bumper. Like most modern diesels with this level of work it drives like a Supercar but still returns reasonable fuel economy.
